The Clifton clarion., 1887-11-23
A STRANGE RACE.
The Hydahs of the Queen Char
 lOtte Islands.

There IS now on exhibition at
 the Old London street one of the
 finest collections of Indian relics
 and curiosities ever seen in this
 city. They were collected by
 Capt. Newton H. Chittenden on
 the Queen Charlotte Islands. off
 British Columbia. The people of
 these islands, now reduced to 75O
 souls, are of fair complexion and
 remarkably intelligent. In ac-
 cordance with a well llknown ety.
 mological principle, their name,
 "Hydahs," means "the people"
 One of these Hydah curiosities
 is hammer, carved and on gran
 ite. Its head, 6 inches long, is
 shaped like that of an eagle. As
 the tribe is divided into political
 parties, known respectively as the
 Bears and the Eagles, this ham,
 mer was probably political emb-
 lem. Another implement is a
 warriors weapon, made of Alaskan copper and shaped like a battle-ax.
 The head of the hydah god Wasco
 is hammered on one end of the ax. These weapons are highly prized, and Capt. Chittenden obtained this sample from a woman after promising to conceal it until he should leave the country. The Captain did not say what he gave in return for this most interesting curiosity, but it is known that similar one was secured in ex- change for six slaves at $500 each, eighty elkskins at s each, ten boxes of oil at s box, two dance dresses valued at S45 apiece, and a canoe 84 feet long, vauled at $90, the whole amounting to $2250.
 The collection also includes very extraordinary set of gamb- ling sticks used by the natives. The usual set contains fifty sticks, but this one is composed of only twenty-six. They are cylindrical in form and about 4 inches long. Twenty-four of them are beauti- fully carved with the images of fish, birds and beasts found in that region. The peculiar feature of the set IS that two of the sticks are carved with human figures almost exact counterparts of the figures found on the old Egyptian monuments and in Assyrian carv- ing. One represents high priest | with his ax raised to slay the sacrifice. The other is the figure of mummy.
 The fre-making implement of | these people is narrow piece of walrus tusk about a foot and a half long-shaped like Il bow; and on which are engraved hunting scenes. To this is attached seal skin string. Fire is made by taking turn of the string around a stick of hard wood, and by these means revolving it against another piece of hard wood; punk is placed from time to time in the hole worn in the under board, and the heat generated from the fric- tion of the two pieces of wood causes the punk to ignite. The music of the hydolla is an imita- tion of the cries of the birds, and is made by series of whistle with which the natives become very ex- pert. They also use the walrus hides.
 These people have a novel way ,f hunting birds, using instead of l bow and arrows, peculiarly shaped harpoon. This instru- nent is about 5 feet long, the point being made of a piece of yalrus tusk 10 inches long. The tick is of cyprus and about half vay up three fish bones are ar anged around the stick, these points extending outward in order o stick the bird in case the point n the end should miss. This when used, is held in the eft hand. In the right is a pad He of hard wood IS inches long,